CA staff get three months parental leave

CA Technologies is dishing out three months paid leave to men and women during the first 12 months following the birth or adoption of their child.

According to CA, the new parental leave policy, which has already been rolled out in the United States, is now being offered to all staff worldwide.

The minimum 12 weeks leave provide new parents with financial support and greater choice and flexibility in determining how they want to care for their child during the first 12 months, CA said.

Under the policy, staff are eligible for leave if they have 12 months of service at the date the child is born or for adoptive parents, where a child is matched or newly placed with them. Staff can opt for a shorter period of leave if they choose and salaries and benefits will continue to be paid in the normal way, CA said.

Although impressive, CA’s parent leave program is a way behind the sabbaticals offered by other global technology players. According to a January article in Recode, salaried staff at Netflix can take up to 12 months leave at full pay after the birth or adopted of their child.

CA said it recognised the dynamics of family life are constantly changing and the family friendly benefits need to adapt accordingly.

“This new parent leave policy will assist to address the challenges faced by working families, providing support and enhancing the overall employee experience,” said Melinda Walsh, vice president, people business partner, Asia-Pacific and Japan at CA Technologies.

“We have a talented team with CA and we know that providing the right level of support during key milestones in their lives will help attract and retain the diverse, experienced workforce we have in Asia Pacific,” she said.

CA said the new policy also reflects its commitment towards promoting work-life balance and an inclusive workforce. It’s also part of a talent management strategy to ensure staff have the skills needed for the future of workforce. This includes leadership learning and development, unconscious bias training opportunities, targets for improving gender diversity outcomes, and flexible working.

CA quoted McKinsey research which found that supporting diversity across Asia-Pacific could add US$4.5 trillion into the region’s collective annual GDP by 2025, a 12 per cent increase over the ‘business-as-usual’ trajectory.

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